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Objective

The organizations that remediate Superfund sites face the challenge of how to measure success; i.e., how to assess the changes in the bioavailability of contaminants. They need quantitative tools that can characterize contaminants and predict their risk to local organisms and humans. Non-chemical factors such as ultra-violet radiation can transform the parent compounds into unmonitored chemicals that can change the toxicity of waters and sediments. To address this issue, we have developed passive sampling devices (PSDs) that can sequester thousands of bioavailable chemicals. These devices can help regulatory agencies to evaluate new remediation technologies that may either produce or release previously unmonitored chemicals. We will develop PSD-bioaccumulation models that can predict chemical load in aquatic tissues with useful accuracy on the basis of measured PSD extracts. The ability to predict aquatic tissues from PSD extracts will enable Superfund managers and public health officials to collect data with better temporal and spatial resolution.

Activities

Collect mixtures of chemicals at Superfund sites with complementary PSD materials and identify the components of those mixtures that induce biological responses.

Apply additional stressors to PSD extracts and characterize the chemical and biological effects.

Develop PSD-bioaccumulation models that can predict chemical load in aquatic tissues with useful accuracy on the basis of measured PSD extracts.

Significance

Concentrations from PSDs may be used in air and water exposure cumulative risk assessments as well as substituted for fish/shellfish tissue concentrations in existing health risk models. Adding passive sampler data to assess cumulative exposure and to health risk models increases spatial and temporal precision, improves risk estimates based on environmental characterization of exposure, reduces animal collection, and reduces costs.

Major Accomplishments

Fractionated PSD extracts and have tested for toxicity in each fraction within the zebrafish model.